Catch



May 4 1943- H. w. NEUNHERz 2,318,412

CATCH A Filed July 9, 1941 I aven/iol' Herberi' Mill/urn/hard az .MEZ

Patented May 4, 1943 v UNETED STATES :a: FFICE ATENT 9 Claims.

This invention relates to a catch capable of general utility but which is here shown as applied to a drop side for an infants crib.

Objects of the invention include the provision of a catch for the treadle of a crib drop side which is constructed to rigidly hold the drop side in its elevated position so as to permit no relative movement between the drop side and the spring frame; the provision of a catch in the shape of a hook having a narrow vertically opening slot to just accommodate the down-turned vertical edge of the side angle iron of the spring frame; the provision of a catch as aforesaid having a shelf-like latch for a notched spring-pressed treadle arm, the notch receiving the latch in elevated position of the drop side to prevent relative vertical movement of the drop side upwardly; and the provision of a catch in the shape o1 a hook which is arranged to abut the horizontal edge of the spring frame angle iron to prevent relative vertical movement of the drop side downwardly with respect to the spring frame.

Other objects reside in the provision of a treadle latch on a crib spring frame and a cooperating catch on a crib drop side, wherein the latter may be attached within a comparatively wide range of misalignment with the treadle latch for speed of assembly without detriment to the latching function, and wherein warping and wear on the crib parts will not cause malfunction of the latch.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will appear hereinafter.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawing, in which Fig. 1 is a front elevation of a crib and drop side embodying a form of the invention;

Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view thru the spring frame and drop side showing the parts in unlatched condition;

Fig. 3 is a rear elevational view of one end of the treadle showing it latched; and

Fig. 4 is a section on line 4-4 of Fig. l, showing the parts latched.

A crib oi conventional construction is illustrated in Fig. 1,'to disclose a selected embodiment of the invention. The crib comprises end posts I having vertical drop side guides I2 attached thereto, and a drop side having spindles I4 connected by upper and lower rails IB and i8 is shown as slidably mounted on the guides l2, for relative vertical movement. In Fig. 1, the drop side is shown in its elevated latched position.

At each point 20 in Fig. l, there is a small plate or bracket 22 secured to the inside of bottom rail I8 and dependent therefrom. A transverse hook 24 extends rearwardly from each bracket 22, each hook having a central vnarrowv vertical slot 26 opening upwardly into a pair of opposed cam surfaces 28 leading into the slot, it being noted that the free end of the hook rises above the base of the hook which is integral with the bracket. A free ended rigid shelf 30 is located to one side of each hook on bracket 22, this shelf extending rearwardly and downwardly and being transverse to theplane of the hook. Bracket 22, hook 24, and shelf 30 are all stamped in one integral piece of sheet metal.

The spring frame comprises end angle irons 32 and side irons 34 secured together to support the springs. Opposite to points 20 on the rail I8, inverted U-shaped brackets 36 are secured to the horizontal edge of iron 34. Cotter pins or other convenient means 38 extend thru aligned apertures in the legs of the U and swingingly mount treadle arms 4l! having forward cam edges 4|, one arm to each bracket 36. Arms 40 are connected by a treadle bar or rod 42. Each treadle arm is provided with a spring 44 coiled on pin 38 and arranged to constantly urge the treadle counterclockwise as seen in Figs. 2 and 4, and a notch 46 is located in the forward edgeV of each treadle arm.

Referring now to Fig. 4, the drop side is shown as latched, the vertical edge of iron 34 being located in slot 26 so that it cannot move horizontally relative to the drop side. The shelf 30 is engaged at its under surface by the lower edge of notch 4S so` that the drop side is prevented from dropping, and the free end of hook 24 engages the horizontal edge of iron 34 sothat the drop side is rigidly held to the lspring frame and cannot move with respect thereto.

By pushing rearwardly or clockwise on the treadle rod 42, the treadle arms/will assume the dotted line position of Fig. 4 or full line position of Fig. 2, and the drop side will fall to the. extent allowed by guides l2. Springs 44 reposition the treadle arms in the path of the brackets 22 upon release of the clockwise force. The drop side may then be raised whereupon the free edges of shelves 39 will impinge on the cam edges 4I, pivoting the treadle arms rearwardly until the notches 45 are reached, the vertical edge of iron 34 being guided into slot 26 by cam surfaces 28. At the moment shelves 30 enter notches 46, the free ends of hooks 24 engage the underside of the horizontal edge of iron 34, and the drop side is securely locked.

It is to be noted that cam edge 4| is comparatively straight except at the lower end of the treadle arm, this construction providing for release of the drop side upon a very short rearward or clockwise movement of the treadle; and that the shelf 30 may be considerably misaligned with respect to arm 4G without losing the latching function of the parts, so that assembly of the device is comparatively quick and easy.

For instance, it will be seen from Fig. 3 that bracket 22 may be located either to right or left of its pictured location with respect to the treadle arm 46, and yet hook 24 will still engage the angle iron as shown in Fig. 4 and shelf 30 will be received in notch 46. Hence the parts may be hastily assembled, the construction here presented providing for correctfunction even with incorrect relative placement of the parts. Further,

it must be realized that crib drop sides are only semi-rigid and after long use the rods I2 may become loosened, while the holes in rails I6, I8 for reception of the rods are always such as to allow a relatively large amount of play, so that it becomes of primary importance to provide latching means capable of functioning in spite of the looseness of the parts. Such a latching means is provided by the present construction.

Having thus described my invention and the advantages thereof, I do not wish to be limited to the details herein disclosed, otherwise than as set forth in the claims, but What I claim is:

1. In a device of the class described, a pair of relatively movable supports and means to latch said supports together, said means comprising a fixed projection and a pivoted arm on one support, said arm having a notch therein, and a fixed bracket on the other support, said bracket having a shelf-like projection for entry in said notch and a slot for receiving said xed projection, said slot having a width substantially equal to the thickness of the fixed projection, the latter preventing relative movement of the supports in either direction transversely of the slot and said notch and shelf-like projection cooperating to prevent relative movement of said supports in a direction parallel to the slot, said slot and shelflike projection being disposed angularly with relation to each other.

2. In a device of the class described, a pair of relatively slidable elements, a at member on one element having a portion thereof arranged parallel to the direction of relative sliding movement of said elements, a bracket on the other member having an open-end slot disposed to receive said portion during a relative sliding movement of said elements to prevent relative motion of said'elements transverse in both directions to said direction of sliding movement, said slot having a width equal to the thickness of said portion, means adapted to prevent said sliding movement in both directions when said portion is received in said slot, said means comprising a pivoted lever on one element, a notch in the lever, a shelf-like projection on the other member adapted to enter said notch, and means tending to urge said lever towards said shelflike projection.

3. A device as recited in claim 2 including cam surfaces adjacent the open end of said slot to guide said portion thereinto.

4. In a device of the class described, a pair of relatively slidable elements and means to latch said elements at a point in their relative movement, said means comprising a fixed projection and a pivoted arm on one element, said arm having a notch and a spring to urge it towards the other element, a pair of projections on the latter, said last named projections being at right angles to each other and one having an open end slot to receive said xed projection at any point in its length and the other being in the form of a shelf to be received in said notch.

5. A device as recited in claim 4 wherein the slotted projection is in the form of a hook, and including a member on said one element to abut and stop the free end of said hook.

6. The combination of a movable element and a bracket on said element comprising a hook and a shelf-like projection; with a relatively stationary frame having an angle iron at a side thereof adjacent said bracket, a treadle arm pivoted on said angle iron and a notch in said arm, said hook having a narrow slot at its bight to closely receive an edge of said angle iron at a certain point in the length thereof, said slot opening upwardly and having a cam surface at each side thereof, and said shelf-like projection being effective to be received in said notch to latch said movable element to said stationary frame when said angle iron edge is received in said slot, whereby said bracket may be located on said element at any point longitudinally of said angle iron as long as said shelf-like projection is Within range of said treadle arm.

7. 'I'he combination as recited in claim 6 including a cam surface on said treadle arm for engagement with the free edge of said shelf-like projection to move said arm generally away from said movable element on elevating the latter, said notch being just above said cam surface.

8. The combination as recited in claim 6 wherein the free end of said hook is adapted to abut an arm of said angle iron to prevent the movable element from being raised past a predetermined point, said slot being sufficiently deep so as to avoid complete entry therein of Ysaid rst named angle iron edge.

9. In an article of the class described, a pair of relatively movable members and means to releasably latch said members, said means comprising a rail or the like on one member and a pivoted treadle arm associated with said rail, a notch in said treadle arm providing a fixed supporting surface in the arm, a hook on the'other member to receive said rail in its bight at any point along said rail, a shelf-like projection to be received in the treadle arm notch to be supi ported on said surface anywhere along an edge of said shelf, and a cam surface on said arm below the notch to pivot the arm away from said other member upon sliding engagement of said shelf-like projection with said cam surface in one relative direction of movement of the members.

HERBERT W. NEUNHERZ. 

